Work in Progress

We have started a new diorama project. We build a city, to around 1400 in the area of the Teutonic Orden. It will be a city with a large marketplace, walls, towers, gates and buildings. There should still be a port with medieval ships. We want to show the medieval civilian life and the military aspect of the Teutonic Orden. Some of the houses to be ready. You have all been cast in resin and built by our friend Torsten. For this purpose we will use the beautiful figures and ships from Alex and Valdemar.

The construction progress, we are happy to show you here. The finished diorama we will exhibit in our museum.

The diorama will measure 3 m by 3 m. In our museum, it will be given pride of place on an elevated stage. Viewers will be able to watch it from three sides, the fourth side will be attached to the wall. This setup allows for a clear view on all the details. The wall side will possibly be used for a photographic background.

We are planning to build a ficticious town on a river, around a castle of the Teutonic Order. The castle is protected by walls and a moat. The fortress will measure ca. 1 m by 1 m on the diorama. It will consist of several fortified buildings. In its walls, there will be two gates and a drawbridge. On the western side, there will be a so-called Dansker, i.e. a tower accomodating toilets over a waterstream . Another large tower will be in the northwestern corner of the fortress, on the top of which there will be placed a trebuchet.

On the southern (lower) side of the castle, the buildings will be open to allow viewing the inner rooms. There will be a vaulted convent hall, sporting three large traceried windows looking towards the inner courtyard. In this hall, the knights are gathering for a banquet. The ground floor has but few windows. On this floor, there are storage rooms, large kitchens and the like. This floor will be vaulted as well.

Residential building: Being situated eastern (right) on the edge of the diorama, this house will be open as well. Here, the bathing scenes sculpted by Alex will be put to good use. Another idea for the ground floor is a tavern, in which a brawl is going on.

Market square: This will be the centre of life of our medieval town. There will be lots of stalls, with vendours selling furs and warm clothing to the crusaders. Of course among the multitude of customers, there will be non-combatants, beggars, jesters and pickpockets.

Storage building: This building is situated right on the river bank. Here, a large cog and some smaller vessels are being unloaded. On the round tower towards the right side of this building, there will be another trebuchet.

Barbican: On the other side of the river, there is a small barbican controlling the wooden bridge across the river. Some merchants passing through to the town market are being checked by the guards in the courtyard. The bridge consists of a two-winged drawbridge enabling smaller vessels to pass through.

While our diorama will not portray any specific place it will show all the typical attributes associated with late medieval red-brick towns and castles: town walls with chemins de ronde, different types of tower, drawbridges, portcullises and moats.

ScenarioA.D. 1329, late autumn. At our town the knights of the Teutonic Order and a host of crusaders are gathering for a winter campaign against Poland. This campaign is supposed to avenge an invasion of Brandenburg and Masovia, allies of the Order, by a Lithuanian and Polisharmy. For weeks, the crusaders have been arriving. They are waiting for the first frost, which will provide better conditions for crossing the swamps and rivers into enemy country.To the east of the town a great host of crusaders has pitched camp. The Marshall of the Order is in the town to take command. The Grand Master of the Order is expected to arrive today with his retinue.Castle, town and camp are busy with people coming and going. In the castle a great banquet is to be held. Many merchants are visiting, it is market day. The crusaders kill their time gambling and jousting. In their camp, too, merchants are offering furs, winter clothing, weapons and armour. Whenever another merchant or traveller arrives they are checked by the guards at the town gates. Spies try to find out about the strength of the crusading army and to be let into the town. By the riverside, goods are unloaded and more crusaders arrive by boat.The market square by the eastern gate is busy as well. There are many stalls attracting customers from the crusader camp, many townspeople, jesters, beggars and pickpockets.Many pass their time drinking in one of the town’s taverns. Back then, beer was the most important drink. One or the other have had one too much.